Nainoa Thompson - Biography

Charles Nainoa Thompson is currently the Executive Director of the Polynesian Voyaging Society
(PVS). Since 1976, he played an integral part in the design,
construction, sailing, and navigatin of the Hawai'i Maritime Center's
double-hulled voyaging canoe, Hokule'a. Also, under Thompson's
supervision, PVS completed the construction of a new Hawaiian voayaging
canoe out of traditional materials in 1994. The canoe, named
Hawai'iloa, took its maiden voyage in 1995 across the Pacific from
Hawai'i to Tahiti to Ra`iatea and back via Nuku Hiva, from where it is
believed early settlers to Hawai'i came.

Thompson studied non-instrument navigation, or wayfinding, under master
navigator Mau Piailug of Satawal, Micronesia. Thompson is the first
Hawaiian to practice the art of wayfinding on long distance ocean
voyages since such voyaging ended around the 14th centry. His first
long voayage took place in 1980, when he navigated Hokule'a from
Hawai'i to Tahiti and back. In 1985-87, he navigated Hokule'a
without instruments across Polynesia from Hawai'i to New Zealand and
back, stopping at islands along the way while covering more than 16,000
ocean miles. Thompson has trained other Hawaiians and Polynesians in
the art of wayfinding and led a revival of traditional arts associated
with voyaging in Hawai'i and Polynesia. In 1992, Thompson again took
Hokule'a to Rarotonga for the Sixth Pacific Arts Festival
celebrating the revival of traditional canoe building and back to
Hawai'i. Most recently in 1995, Thompson directed a voyage entitled
"Na 'Ohana Holo Moana - The Voyaging Families of the Vast Ocean,'' that
took three Hawaiian canoes - Hokule'a, Hawai'iloa, and
Makali'i to Tahiti, being joined by five other Polynesian canoes from
the Cook Islands (2), New Zealand (1), and Tahiti (2). These, with the
exception of the Tahitian canoes, then sailed to the Marquesas, to
Hawai'i, and back to their homeland.

Thompson's current interest is to develop an educational program for
the schoolchildren of Hawai'i to teach them about Polynesian voyaging
traditions and instill them with pride in their ancient seafaring
heritage. The program will emphasize not just knowledge about ancient
traditions, but also modern scientific knowledge about the ocan and sky
and environmental principles based on traditional values for insuring
the conservation of resources and a safe, healthy, sustainable
future for Hawai'i.